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on MENA - Middle East and North Africa |
| By: | Kirui, Oliver K.; Ahmed, Mosab; Raouf, Mariam; Abushama, Hala; Siddig, Khalid |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the determinants of access to safe water and reliable energy for households in Sudan using nationally representative data from a recent labor market survey. The results show that urbanization, education, and wealth significantly enhance the access households have to these essential services, while rural areas and less developed regions, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, face substantial challenges. Access to reliable energy correlates with better food security and health outcomes within households, and improved access to safe water significantly enhances the health of household members. Policy recommendations supported by these research results include targeted rural infrastructure investments, educational improvements, and regional interventions to address disparities in household access to safe water and reliable energy across Sudan. |
| Keywords: | energy policies; food security; health; households; socioeconomics; water; water policies; Sudan; Africa; Northern Africa |
| Date: | 2025–05–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:174711 |
| By: | Majbouri, Mahdi (Babson College) |
| Abstract: | Women’s educational attainment has continuously increased across the Middle East, while fertility rates have declined substantially. Yet their labor force participation remains stubbornly low. To investigate this puzzle, I use a discrete choice experiment in Egypt that varies the gender composition of the work environment—a key but underexplored dimension. I find that men, who have final say over women’s work decisions, demand 77% higher wages for their wives if the job is in a mixed-gender setting. Since few workplaces are all-female and men can veto women’s employment, these findings help explain the persistently low female participation rate. |
| Keywords: | Middle East and North Africa, preferences toward job attributes, labor supply |
| JEL: | J21 J29 J49 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17952 |
| By: | Aksoy, Cevat Giray (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development); Bloom, Nicholas (Stanford University); Davis, Steven J. (Hoover Institution); Marino, Victoria (EBRD, London); Özgüzel, Cem (Paris School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | We study the shift to fully remote work at a large call center in Turkey, highlighting three findings. First, fully remote work increased the share of women, including married women, rural and smaller-town residents. By accessing groups with traditionally lower labor-force participation the firm was able to increase its share of graduate employees by 14% without raising wages. Second, workforce productivity rose by 10%, reflecting shorter call durations for remote employees. This was facilitated by a quieter home working environment, avoiding the background noise in the office. Third, fully remote employees with initial in-person training saw the higher long-run remote productivity and lower attrition rates. This underscores the advantages of initial in-person onboarding for fully remote employees. |
| Keywords: | work from home, remote jobs, workforce mix, productivity |
| JEL: | J2 J3 R1 |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17917 |
| By: | Ibrahim Hanafy Mohammad, Hind |
| Abstract: | Social cash transfers (SCTs) are considered a priority in least-developed countries, where the gap between the need for basic social protection and existing provisions is greatest. This study represents one of the first comprehensive impact evaluation treatments for Takaful and Karamah social cash transfer programs in Egypt. The results, based on propensity score matching (PSM) and odds-weighted regression, and data from the HIECS 2017-2018, confirm positive SCTs effects on per capita non-food consumption expenditures including healthcare and education for beneficiary households. The results also indicate threshold effects with SCTs mostly impacting healthcare expenditure among asset-poorer beneficiary households and education expenditure among asset-wealthier beneficiaries. |
| Keywords: | Social cash transfers, impact evaluation, consumption expenditure, propensity score matching, odds-weighted regression |
| JEL: | I38 O2 D63 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esrepo:319784 |
| By: | Nadia Ali; Massimiliano Cali; Bob Rijkers |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates Tunisia’s “Startup Act, ” a policy initiative to foster innovative firms through a “start-up” label and a bundle of incentives, including reduced social security contributions, corporate tax exemptions, easier access to foreign exchange, and simplified customs procedures. Detailed data on the program’s selection process allow identifying marginal entrants and rejects, and hence limit selection on unobservables. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, the program is shown to increase survival and promote job creation. A back-of-the-envelope cost-benefit calculation suggests that the program is cost effective. |
| Date: | 2025–05–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11117 |
| By: | McCloskey, PJ; Malheiros Remor, Rodrigo |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the economic viability of decentralised solar systems in Abu Dhabi. By analysing levelised cost of electricity (LCOE), net present value (NPV), and internal rate of return (IRR) across customer groups, it finds that while rooftop solar generation is not yet cost-effective for heavily subsidised sectors, it remains viable for industrial and commercial users. The study suggests that subsidy reform could significantly improve the financial appeal of decentralised systems, aligning with Abu Dhabi’s decarbonisation targets under the UAE Energy Strategy 2050. |
| Keywords: | renewable energy, solar energy, decentralised solar, centralised solar, LCOE, Abu Dhabi |
| JEL: | Q2 Q42 Q47 Q58 |
| Date: | 2025–04–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:124740 |